Clay-cutting machine.



No. 635,74l. Patented Oct. 3|, I899. A. BUNNUT.

CLAY CUTTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 19, 1898.

(Nb Model.) S-Sheefs-Sheet NORRIS PETERS o0, PHOTO-Una) WASHINGTON D c N0. 635,74I. Patented 00f. 3|, I899.

A. BUNNDT.

CLAY CUTTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 19, 1898.)

3 Sheetsr-Sheet 2 (No Model.)

m: "cams wzrzns (20., Pum'oumu. WASNINGTDN. n. c.

No. 635,74l. Patented Oct. 3|, l899.

A. mmm.

CLAY CUTTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 19, 1898.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

IIIIIIIIIII'IIIIIII mzyomm; PETERS cm. momuwo', WASHINGTON n c.

NITED STATES uric.-

AUGUST BONN OT, OF BUCYRUS, OHIO.

CLAY-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 635,741, dated October 31, 1899.

Application filed December 19, 1898. Serial No. 699,785. (No model.)

T0 at whmn it may concern:

Be itknown that I, AUGUST BONNOT, acitizen of the United States, residing at Bucyrus, in the county of Crawford and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clay-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of claycutting machines which embrace a plurality of cutters movable at right angles to the line of feed of the column of clay to be cut; and it consists in the peculiar and advantageous construction hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims appended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved machine. Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 are transverse sections taken in the planes indicated by the broken lines 2 2, 3 3, 44:, and 5 5, respectively, of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail section illustrative of the manner in which the pitmen are connected to the carriers. Fig. 7 is an enlarged longitudinal section of a clutch embraced in the machine. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 9 is a transverse section taken in the plane indicated by the line 9 9 of Fig. 8.

In the said drawings similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the several views, referring to which- A is the main frame of my improved machine, which may be of any construction suitable to the purposes of my invention.

A is a longitudinally movable frame mounted on the main frame. Said frame A is provided with antifriction-rollers a designed to engage tracks a on the main frame after the manner common to the art.

B is a clay-cutting table made up of the usual platens a, bolted to longitudinal bars I) of the longitudinally-movable frame A and having the extensions 0 at its ends.

0 is the discharge-spout of an ordinary augermachine, the said auger-machine, which it is not deemed necessary to illustrate, being arranged in proximity to my improved cutting-machine, so as to feed a column of clay through the latter.

D is an endless belt which receives the column of clay as it comes from the spout O.v

upper stretch is supported by rollers h, placed at intervals, as shown.

The column of clay is moved by the augermachine through the spout O in the direction indicated by arrow and in turn moves the belt D at a corresponding rate of speed and through the medium of the same rotates the pulleys d and shaft f, a suitable tension device It being provided in conjunction with the belt, as shown, to insure the rotation of the pulley d and shaft f. From the belt D the column of clay is moved across the usual lubricant-receptacle 2', and its under side is lubricated by rollers j in said receptacle, after which it passes over the cutting-table, where it is cut into bricks after the well-known man ner by improved means hereinafter described. From the forward extension 0 of the cuttingtable B the bricks are pushed by the followingcolumn of clay onto an endless belt 70, which has for its purpose to carry the bricks away from the cutting-table and from which the bricks may be removed by an attendant or by any suitable means. The said belt is driven by a continuously-rotating driveshaft E through the medium of sprockets Z m, a chain '12, and a pulley p, as shown at the left of Fig. 1.

F are transversely-movable carriers,which are arranged in guides q of standards r, disposed at opposite ends of the frame A, and are provided with antifriction-rollers s to ease their movements.

G is a longitudinally-disposed shaft,which is journaled in suitable bearings in the carriers -F, so as to rest below the cutting-table B, and is provided at intervals in its length with diametrical apertures t, (see Fig. 3,) and H is a cutter-frame mounted on the shaft G. s

This cutter-frame is made up of upright bowshaped end bars u, which have arms 1) at their lower ends, a sleeve 10, which connects the lower ends of the bars u and receives the shaft G, and an upper longitudinal bar m, which connects the upper ends of the bars a. The longitudinal bar a; and the sleeve to of the frame H are provided with apertures y z, and in these apertures and the coincident apertures t of the shaft G rest the cutting-blades I, which are preferably in the form of rods. These blades or rods I have threaded ends, and they are secured in the frame H by nuts a. after the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and serve in turn to fix the frame H with respect to the shaft G. By turning the nuts 0. upon the rods the said rods may be rendered more or less taut, as desired.

J is a shaft journaled in suitable hearings in the longitudinally-movable frame A and having cranks K at intermediate points in its length and crank-wheels L at its ends.

M are pitmen connecting the cranks K of shaft .I and the arms c on the end bars u of the cutter-frame H, and N are pitmen connecting the crank-wheels L and the carriers F, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 6. The crankpins on the wheels L and the outer ends of the cranks K are disposed as shown, and consequently it will be seen that when the shaft J is rotated the frame H will be oscillated and carried on the carriers F across the machine. This causes the rods or cutters I to make an incline or drawn out through the thickness of clay presented to them and insures smooth cuts and obviates the liability of the corners of the bricks being marred, which is an important advantage.

P is a shaft which is connected by intermediate gears l) c with the continuously-rotating shaft E, so as to rotate therewith, and Q is a pinion which is loosely mounted on the shaft P and meshes with a gear-wheel R, fixed on the shaft J. The pinion Q is held against endwise movement on the shaftPby a collar d and is provided at one end with a clutch-face c, surrounded by a flange f, as shown. It is also preferably formed in two sections keyed or splined together after the manner illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 7. Said pinion forms one member of a clutch S and has for its com'plementa member T,which is keyed or splined on the shaft, so as to turn with and move on the same. The member T has a clutch-face 9 similar to the face e of pinion Q, and it also has a circular groove h. (See Fig. 9.) This circular groove h is designed to loosely receive the inwardly-directed lugs 41 of an open lever U, which surrounds the shaft and the outer portion of the clutch member T, as shown in Fig. 9. The lever II has an antifriction-Wheel 3', (see Fig. 8,) and the clutch member Q has a tappet designed to act against the wheel j, and thereby move the lever and automatically disengage the clutch member T from its complementary member Q for a purpose presently described.

V is a rod arranged in suitable guides and connected at one end to the lever U and equipped at its opposite end with a wheel'l, and W is a cam fixed on a shaft m and ar' ranged to engage the wheel Z of rod V. The shaft m is connected by intermeshed gears 07. p with the shaft f, and hence will rotate in concert with shaft f. From this it follows that movement of the cutter-frame H is controlled by the rotation of the shaft f, which gains its motion from the moving columnof clay, as before described.

While the longitudinally-m ovable frame A is held in the position shown in Fig. l by means of a lock which is common in the art, and hence is not shown, the column of clay being fed continuously from the auger-machine passes over the beltD to the end of the cutting-table B remote from the said belt. It will be seen that as the column of clay moves forwardly from the spout C and adheres to and moves the belt D the said belt, through the medium of the mechanism described, will move the clutch member T into engagement with the clutch member or pinion Q. This will cause the pinion Q to rotate with the shaft 1 and through the medium of the said pinion and the mechanism before described will rock the cutter-frame H and move the same transversely from one side of the machine to the other, so as to force the cutters "I through the column of clay. Simultaneously with the placing of the clutch member T in engagement with the pinion Q, the longitudinally-movable frame A is unlocked, such release of the frame being preferably eifected by the movement of rod V. When thus re leased, the frame A will be moved by the column of clay in the direction indicated by the large arrow in Fig. 1 incident to the transverse movement of the cutters I through the column of clay. At the completion of the movement of the frame A in the direction indicated by the large arrow and the transverse movement of the cutter-frame H the frame A is moved by hand or by any suitable mechanism, which I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate, back to its normal locked position. The parts are also so ar ranged and timed that at the completion of the movement of the cutter-frame H in the direction stated the tappet k on the clutch member Q will engage the wheelj on the lever U, and thereby move the member T out of engagement with the said member Q. This will result in the frame H remaining in the position it has assumed, with its cutters at one side of the column of clay, until the pulley 61 makes a complete revolution and through the medium of the mechanism described again places the clutch member T in engagement with the pinion Q, when the frame A will be again released and the cutter-frame H will be moved in the direction opposite to that described and its cutters I will be carried from the side of the column of clay, where they rested, through the column of clay to a position at the opposite side of the same. At this time the movement of the cutter-frame H will be again stopped by the stop-motion mechanism described.

The movement of the column of clay is continuous, and during the intervals of rest following the movements of the cutter-frame H in opposite directions it serves to move the bricks cut incident to each movement of said frame off the cutting-table and presenta fresh portion of clay in a position to be acted upon by the cutters incident to the succeeding stroke or movement of the cutter-frame.

I have specifically described the construction and relative arrangement of the parts embraced in the present embodiment of my invention in order to impart a full, clear, and exact understanding of the same. I do not desire, however, to be understood as confining myself to the specific construction and arrangement of parts, as such changes or modifications may be made in practice as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a clay-cutting machine, the combination of a frame A having a cutting-table and also having transverse guideways in its end walls disposed below and in the same vertical plane as the cutting-table, carriers arranged in said guideways and movable transverse of the frameA, an oscillatory cutter-frame journaled in the carriers and movable transverse of the frame with the same, and suitable means for moving the carriers and oscillating the cutter-frames, substantially as specified.

2. In a clay-cutting machine, the combination of a frame A having a cutting-table, and also having transverse guides, transversely-movable carriers arranged in said guides of the frame, an oscillatory cutterframe journaled in the carriers, a shaft journaled in the frame A and having two pairs of cranks, pitmen connecting one pair of cranks and the opposite ends of the cutterframe, and pitmen connecting the other pair of cranks and the carriers, substantially as specified.

3. In a clay-cutting machine, the combination of a main frame, a movable frame, a cutter carried by the movable frame, a shaft journaled in said movable frame and connected with the cutter, a shaft journaled in the main frame, a clutch member mounted on the latter shaft so as to slide thereon and turn therewith, a complementary clutch member loosely mounted on the latter shaft and pro vided with means for moving the other clutch memberlongitudinally; said loose clutch-section being connected by gearing with the shaft in the movable frame, a belt arranged to be engaged and actuated by a moving column of clay, and mechanism operative by said belt for moving the first-named clutch member into engagement with, the complementary clutch member at intervals, substantially as specified.

at. In a brick-cutting machine, the combination of a frame A provided with a cuttingtable, transversely-movable carriers arranged in guides in the frame, a longitudinally-disposed shaft journaled in the carriers, a cutter-frame comprising a sleeve receiving and fixed on the shaft, end bars having arms at their lower ends, a longitudinal bar c0nnect ing the upper ends of the end bars and cutters interposed between and connected to the longitudinal bar and the sleeve, a shaft having cranks at intermediate points of its length and cranks at its ends, pitmen connecting the intermediate cranks and the arms of the cutter-frame, pitmen connecting the end cranks and the carriers, and a suitable means for rotating the crank-shaft, substantially as specified.

5. In a clay-cuttingmachine, the combination of a main frame, a movable frame having a cutting-table, means for moving a column of clay, a cutter carried by the movable frame, a continuously-rotating shaft journaled in the main frame, a clutch member loose on said shaft and connected by gearing with the cutter and having a tappet, a complementary clutch member mounted on the shaft so as to turn therewith and slide thereon, a lever connected with the latter clutch member and adapted to be engaged by the tappet, a rod connected to the lever, a rotary cam arranged to engage said rod, and means connected with the cam and arranged to be engaged and moved by said moving column of clay, substantially as specified.

6. In a clay-cutting machine, the combination of a main frame, a movable frame having a cutting-table, means for moving a column of clay, a cutter-frame carried by the movable frame and movable transverse of the cutting-table, a continuously-rotating shaft jonrnaled in the main frame, a clutch member loose on said shaft and connected by gearing with the cutter-frame and having a tappet, a complementary clutch member mounted on the shaft so as to turn therewith and slide thereon, a lever connected with the latter clutch member and adapted to be engaged by the tappet, a rod connected to the lever, a belt taking around drums and arranged to be engaged and moved by the moving column of clay, and a cam connected by gearing with the belt and arranged to engage the rod, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUST BONNOT.

Witnesses:

LOUIS PAQUELET, SAMUEL LEWIS. 

